


Prince Arthur's Pants are on Fire

by glitterandlube



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-07
Updated: 2010-08-07
Packaged: 2017-10-10 23:45:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitterandlube/pseuds/glitterandlube





	Prince Arthur's Pants are on Fire

When they leave Camelot extremely early in the morning, Merlin isn't thinking about anything other than how much sleep he hadn't gotten the night before with Gaius' requests for just one more lesson on the uses of random herb #27980 for treatment of some disease Merlin couldn't pronounce. Also, the picture had made him want to gouge his eyes out. He keeps trying to find a spell to erase memories, but alas, nothing seemed to work. He is limiting his practice to Arthur of course. The plan ninety-five percent of the time is to make Arthur forget he needs to wear pants. The other five percent of the time the plan is to make Arthur forget he knows who Merlin even is.

As the day goes on, time drags slower and slower, right up until the moment when the two other knights they were traveling with have to be diverted off to defend a maiden. Arthur wants to do it, so Merlin has to waste ten minutes listing all the previous saving of maidens that had led directly to Arthur's doom. He was getting very tired of saving Arthur from moronic and obvious traps.

This leads to a very snippy fight that prompts the two knights, Sir Lourdan, and Sir Muchan, to volunteer to defend the lady's honor on their Prince's behalf. Two hours later when they haven't returned, Arthur and Merlin get into another [louder] argument about which of them was correct, Arthur for wanting to go so he could win the fight, or Merlin, because Arthur would have just gotten sucked into whatever mess the knights were currently in and then Merlin would have to save him! By sheer luck! The look on Arthur's face at that last statement did not make Merlin any happier.

Unfortunately, when they attempt to locate said knights of Camelot, they go slightly off-path. Then they end up slightly off the off-path, until it is dark, and the forest is filled with the howling of random animals. Arthur grudgingly suggests camping for the night. Merlin frowns at Arthur while stating, "I'd love to stay out in the freezing woods, but I have this thing about not wanting to die horribly."

"We won't die."

"It's freezing! I am shaking! Because it is cold!"

Arthur frowns at Merlin's flailing. "Stop being ridiculous. It's not that cold out here."

"You have extra layers on, that's why you're warm!"

"You have a fetching scarf, so I'm sure you'll be fine."

Merlin narrows his eyes, but Arthur has already turned around and can't see the faces Merlin is making. "It's going to get even colder," Merlin adds.

Arthur turns back to Merlin to ask in a flat tone, "What would you like me to do, Merlin? Conjure us home? Do you know of a way to do that?" They stare at each other until Merlin looks away. "I didn't think so. We have a blanket in the bundle on the horse. We'll be fine. I hope my men managed to find some shelter. Or at least aren't horribly dead."

"Like so many of the others."

"Merlin."

"So we're sharing the blanket?"

"You can see if one of the horses will let you curl up with them, but I don't think you're their type."

"Am I your type?"

"I guess we'll see how cold it gets and find out." Arthur smiles at the look on Merlin's face, and pulls a nice wool blanket down from the bundle of supplies on his horse. He's happy they ended up with most of the supplies.

"Is that what you say to girls? We have to share body heat? Hey, did you get us lost on purpose?" Merlin calls out as he walks over to a near-by stream to get some water. Freezing cold water. He debates trying a warming spell, but he is worried he will kill all the fish, and he can hear Arthur behind him as he answers, "Yes, I got us lost in the woods so I can have my way with you."

"Gwen said you were staring at me a lot. There's been talk."

"What?" Arthur starts to laugh. "There has not!"

Merlin grins into the water. He says, "You can admit it, Sire. I know you want my fetching scarf."

"I'm going to dump you in that stream if you don't be quiet."

Merlin stands up quickly, and pulls his coat around himself further. He really is cold. He feels Arthur lay the blanket over his shoulders, as he says, "I'm going to look around quickly to make sure everything is clear. I'll be right back. Stay here."

"Wait, but..."

"What did I just say?" Arthur looks at Merlin with his stern glare. Merlin tries not to grin at him, and says, "Staying here as ordered."

"Gather some of the branches that are laying on the ground here for us."

Merlin pulls some branches over to the side of the largest tree, and debates with himself about whether Arthur would believe he tied them all together in five minutes as a shelter. Probably not. He glances over in the direction Arthur walked off in, and is tempted to follow, but he really doesn't want to freeze to death in the woods. If Arthur doesn't come back, well, his destiny is apparently to run away to the furthest village in the realm. He waves his hand over the branches and they gather up into a small circle and catch fire nicely. He grins as he hears footsteps clomping back. Arthur is really not all that graceful. Merlin kind of likes that about him.

Arthur comes around the tree and asks, "How did you get a fire going?"

"A rock."

"What rock?"

"A rock that I banged on another rock. The same way we normally start fires." Merlin mumbles into his sleeve, pretending he can't feel Arthur's incredulous look.

"I don't even care. I'm just happy we have a fire. That's it. Move over."

Merlin lifts one arm to let Arthur crawl underneath the blanket. They huddle together in front of the fire, and Merlin shifts on the ground as Arthur slides an arm around his waist.

"So I am your type."

"It would appear that way. Or I'm getting comfortable."

"Comfortable of course being groping the person nearest you."

"Groping? That's not groping." Arthur slides his other hand up Merlin's thigh and whispers into his ear, "This is groping."

Merlin swallows hard, and says, "I guess I've been doing it wrong all this time."

"You haven't been doing it at all, I'll bet."

"Unlike some people who shall remain nameless?"

Arthur strokes his thumb over the inside of Merlin's thigh, making him shiver, and asks, "Still cold?"

"I'm not...no, I'm not cold. Arthur, does this mean? Can we?" Merlin asks as Arthur moves his arm from Merlin's waist up his back and into his hair. He leans over until it makes Merlin cross-eyed to look at him, and Merlin's hands move up his back. He tilts Merlin's head and presses his lips carefully against Merlin's, letting him get comfortable in Arthur's arms. Merlin kisses back, tentatively opening his mouth, letting Arthur slide his tongue inside. He groans as Arthur moves closer and puts a hand on his ass.

He feels clumsy and unsure of himself, but Arthur seems happy enough, and Merlin carefully crawls into his lap as they kiss harder. They aren't paying attention to what they are doing when they go down, and Merlin doesn't really care when Arthur settles between his legs and kisses his jaw, his neck, licks his throat and "Oh god, I think the blanket is on fire."

"Something is on fire all right." Arthur mumbles against Merlin's neck.

"NO! ARTHUR THE DAMN BLANKET IS ON FIRE! GET OFF ME!"

Arthur moves back and Merlin jumps up and pulls the blanket out from under him. He beats it on the ground as he quickly whispers a spell to douse the flames. Arthur is laughing too hard to notice.

"It's not funny!"

"Oh, but it really is."

"Yes, completely hilarious to be stuck out here with nothing at all!"

"I'll keep you warm."

Merlin starts laughing helplessly, but it dies off as he looks down at Arthur, kneeling on the ground, holding out his arms. His face is serious in the firelight, his hair is brushed with gold, and he looks like a pagan god in front of the tree of knowledge. Merlin slides down to kneel in front of him, blanket behind him like a cape, and he lets Arthur use it to pull him in, to keep him close.

They both stay warm the entire night.

When they get back to Camelot, Merlin keeps the half-burned blanket on his bed and refuses to let Gaius toss it. Arthur touches it and smiles at him whenever he's there annoying Merlin. The dragon has gotten a lot less cryptic since that night. Unfortunately they never locate the missing knights, but from what Merlin's heard they ended up staying with the fair maiden. Merlin ends up staying with Arthur, maybe there is something to this destiny thing


End file.
